Belt-fastener.



No. 779,587. PATENTED JAN. 10, 1905, J. G. CONN.

BELT FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18. 1904.

UNITED STATES Patented January 10, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

BELT-FASTENER- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,587,dated January 10, 1905. Application filed April 18, 1904. $erial No.203,576.

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH C. CONN. a citizen of the United States,residing in Boonton, in the county of Morris and State of New Jersey,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Belt-Fasteners, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The invention relates to that class of fasteners for power-belts inwhich each end of the belt is equipped with a series of metal loops orbelt-hooks attached thereto by embedding the points of the hooks in thematerial of the belt, the two series connected by a pin extendingthrough the bights of both series to form a flexible joint.-

The object of the invention is to provide a fastener of this characterwhich shall engage with increased security, avoid weakening the belt,and lessen the tendency of the belt ends to spread or widen in thevicinity of the joint.

The invention consists in certain novel features and details ofconstruction by which the above objects are attained, to be hereinafterdescribed.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification and show theinvention as I on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1.

have carried it out.

Figure 1 is a face view of two adjacent belt ends joined by the improvedfasteners. Fig. Qisa corresponding longitudinal section taken Theremaining figures are on a larger scale and show the fastener alone.Fig. 3 is a side view of a fastener before engagement with a belt, andFig. 4 is a corresponding elevation. Fig. 5 is a side view showing thecondition when the fastener is engaged, and Fig. 6 is a correspondingelevation. Fig. 7 is a side view corresponding to Fig. 3, but showing amodification.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

A and B are adjacent ends of a belt, which may be fabric, leather, orany material suitable for the purpose.

The fasteners or belt-hooks are preferably of soft-steel wire formedeach in a single piece, by suitable machinery or otherwise, to the shapeshown in Figs. 3 and 4, which show the fastener before its attachment tothe belt.

Each fastener comprises two arms C C extending angularly outward from abend or bight C, terminating in inwardly-bent hooks C C, having points CC adapted to be forced into the material of the belt on opposite facesof the latter and firmly secured by clenching therein, but not extendingthrough. The two arms differ in length, the arm C being enough longer toallow its hook C to clear the hook C" on the shorter arm O when the armsare forced toward each other in engaging the belt, as illustrated inFigs. 5 and 6. The arms and hooks lie in the same plane with each otherand with the bight, so that the strains are in straight lines, and thepoint C of the hook C is in the same plane and beveled equally on eachside, so that it will enter the belt with no tendency in eitherdirection laterally. The point C of the hook C is beveled to bedeflected on entering the belt to the slight degree necessary to avoidstriking the arm C when fully engaged.

By making one arm longer than the other .the respective hooks engageseparated portions of the belt, thus distributing the strains overgreater areas, increasing the strength of the grip, and lessening thedestructive action of the hooks on the material of the beltin theoperation of inserting the fasteners. This feature is of specialimportance in joining the ends of fabric belts. The hook on the long armenters the belt several picks in advance of the short arm, and thusengages a different thread, beside lessening the danger of injury to asingle thread, to which it is liable when entered by both hooks, as inthe usual fasteners of this class. In practice the fasteners are securedto the belt ends at equal intervals with alternate long and short armsshowing on each face, as indicated in Fig. 1. By this arrangement thehooks of each series of fasteners lie in two lines transversely of thebelt end and are embedded in the material from each face alternately,thus still further distributing and equalizing the strains. Anotherimportant advantage due to the improved form is the reduction of thetendency of the belt end to spread or widen during the operation ofinserting the fasteners. The

difference in length of arms gives each hook 100 its independent area inwhich to sink, thus avoiding the crowding of the material caused by theinsertion of all the points in a single line and allows one of thepoints (that on the long arm) to sink squarely into the belt, while thepoint on the short arm is but slightly deflected, as before described.

The two series of fasteners are joined by pins thrust through the bightsof both series, thus forming a hinge-joint. I prefer to employ two pins,which may be ordinary wire nails D D, having heads D inserted oppositelyfrom about the middle of the joint, as shown in Fig. 1, with the headsabutting and preventing aceidental displacement while afiording a degreeof flexibility transversely of the line of the belt.

Fig. 7 shows a modification in which the arms extend from a coil(Yinstead of from the simple bight shown in the preceding figures. Theaction is practically the same in both forms.

I claim 1. The means described for joining belt ends, consisting of aseries of belt-fasteners for each of said ends, each formed of a singlepiece of wire and comprising a bight, a long and a short arm extendingin the same direction from said bight, and an inwardly-inclined hook onthe free end of each of said arms. the said hooks adapted to engage thebelt end on opposite faces, one of said hooks in advance of the other,and a pin extending through bights of both series.

2. The means described for joining belt ends, consisting of a series ofbelt-fasteners for each of said ends, each formed of a single piece ofwire and comprising a bight, a long and a short arm extending in thesame direction from said bight' and lying in the same plane therewith,an in wardly-inclined hook on the free end of said long arm having itspoint beveled on both sides, and an inwardly-inclined hook on the freeend of said short arm having its point beveled on one side, the saidhooks adapted to engage the belt end on opposite faces, one of saidhooks in advance of the other, and one or more pins engaging bights ofboth series.

in testimony thatI claim the invention above set forth I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH O. CONN. Witnesses:

(JHAs. A. HAUCK, CHARLES R. SEARLE.

